‘Knowledge Gap’ is the biggest hurdle to AI adoption

Pipedrive has unveiled its State of AI in Business Report which examines the adoption and usage of artificial intelligence (AI) tools among global businesses. The report, based on a survey of 500 business owners and leaders, provides deep insight into their mindset as they grapple with how to effectively automate routine tasks, enhance productivity and uncover deeper insights.

Key findings include:

ChatGPT is the Leading Tool for Businesses

Pipedrive’s report reveals that ChatGPT is in the lead in terms of adoption, with more than 8/10 businesses that use GenAI (86) saying they use OpenAI’s flagship virtual assistant. ChatGPT’s market saturation is more than 3.7x the next popular tool: Siri (24%). Google Assistant (19%), Microsoft Copilot (17%) and Google Gemini (17%) round out the top five.

Just 6% of businesses are using Claude by Anthropic, and 3% are using Perplexity, indicating there is room for growth for these platforms.

Lack of Knowledge and Trust are Barriers to Entry

The Pipedrive study underscores significant challenges to wider adoption. Almost half of businesses (48%) cited lack of knowledge as the main blocker to AI adoption. Trust in AI (40%), data privacy (27%), and security risks (26%) also emerged as significant concerns.

Notably, only 4% of respondents pointed to “resistance from stakeholders” as a barrier, indicating a strong interest in AI adoption from investors, partners and others behind the scenes.

"At Pipedrive, we understand that small businesses need powerful, yet accessible tools to thrive in today's competitive landscape. Our AI-driven solutions are designed to simplify complex processes, enabling businesses to harness the full potential of AI for unprecedented productivity and efficiency. By integrating AI into their daily operations, we're empowering small businesses to make smarter decisions, optimize resources, and achieve their growth ambitions faster than ever before," said Dominic Allon, CEO of Pipedrive.

Pipedrive’s report also examines how AI is currently being deployed within the SMB workflows, along with motivating factors for adoption:

Content is King: The most common AI applications among businesses include text and content creation (75%), content summarization (52%), transcriptions (29%), research (24%), and sales report generation (17%). Notably, just 8% of businesses are currently using AI for lead scoring, indicating potential for growth in this area.

Productivity is the Goal: Among businesses that have embraced AI, 79% reported increased productivity as their primary motivation. Gathering insights (42%) and improving customer interactions and satisfaction (41%) were also key drivers. Contrary to popular belief, only 22% of businesses view AI as a cost-saving measure.